Publication details
The "Geo-" Prefix: Re-rooting New Data Collection in Geography
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| Year of publication | 2026 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| Citation | |
| Description | Numerous disciplines are increasingly integrating locational data into their methodologies, yet geography as a parent field often struggles to conceptually encompass these shifts. Across fields such as computer science, sociology, psychology, or epidemiology, this trend frequently leads to the adoption of 'geographical methods' that lack a solid grounding in theory, where terms like 'geographically-explicit' or the 'geo-' prefix are utilized primarily to denote a simplistic spatial dimension. Conversely, geography often overlooks emerging data collection methods and methodological frameworks, even though innovative data sources have already significantly advanced the study of space-time dynamics. Pervasive technologies and their digital traces, originating from mobile networks, social media, payment transactions, or utility networks, enable the collection of extensive passive data. Furthermore, portable sensing facilitates the research of dynamic, high-frequency, and direct interactions between individuals and their immediate environment, effectively bridging the gap between environmental, behavioral, and affective contexts. Utilizing specific research experiences, this contribution provides a critical geographical insight into intensive longitudinal methods, including self-reported questionnaires via portable devices triggered by specific temporal or spatial keys. By framing these tools within the principles of time geography and Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI), the discussion demonstrates how re-rooting such methods in geographical theory addresses the aforementioned paradox. Ultimately, the contribution enriches the post-disciplinary discourse of mobility research by showing how a theoretically grounded approach to new data transforms our understanding of urban spatialities and knowledge creation. |
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